text:
Above is a spot by the Canadian Institute of Diversity and Inclusion, taking advantage of the close man-on-man contact in doubles luge to make a statement about Russia's record on gay rights. The Internet loves it! Actual Olympic lugers, not so much.
"The Olympics have always been a little gay," the tagline goes, but shouldn't the message be the opposite? That sports are nonsexual and open to everyone? "In sports, what we're doing is a completely different issue than what they're talking about," Preston Griffall told the New York Times.
But more than that, lugers are damned sick of hearing all the jokes about their sport. Christian Niccum told Reuters:
"When we were kids I didn't get on the doubles sled thinking, well it never even crossed my mind, that 'oh, this is gay'. You think of like...wrestlers...football players, or whoever...'oh it's male on male contact so something is going on'. It's just sportsmanship. When did we come so sexual about everything?"
Added Griffall:
"Between this kind of stuff and the 'You're such a luger,' it's pretty tired. To be honest, I'm not sure I've ever heard [a good luge joke]."
It's a fine line. Surely there's a way to say "I support gay rights" while making clear that "lugers don't actually want to bone the spandex-clad teammate lying atop them." The Canadian ad made a point and got a laugh, but at whose expense? At least it's still more sophisticated than this Olympic commercial for a Norwegian sporting goods retailer, which ends with a lesbian makeout session.


text:
I frequently get asked the question of how many databases a DBA typically manages. Over the past few years, I have done research on this topic with some of my friends in DBA Faternity, Senior DBA's and DBA Managers, asking them about their ratios and how they improved them. Typically I find that the current industry average is 40 databases to a DBA for large enterprises ($1 billion+ in revenue), with the lowest ratio seen around eight and the highest at 275. So, why this huge variation? There are many factors that I see in customer deployments that contribute to this variation, such as the size of a database, database tools, version of databases, DBA expertise, formalization of database administration, and production versus nonproduction.
This ratio is usually limited by the total size of all databases that a DBA manages. A terabyte-sized database remains difficult to manage compared to a database that's 100 GB in size. Larger databases often require extra tuning, backup, recovery, and upgrade effort. The average database-to-DBA ratio is often constrained by the total size of the databases being managed, which tends to be around five terabytes per DBA. In other words, one DBA can effectively manage 25 databases of 200 GB each or five 1 terabyte databases. And these include production and nonproduction databases.
What are the factors that can help improve the ratio? Cloud, tools, latest DBMS version (automation), and DBMS product used – Oracle, SQL Server, Teradata, DB2, MySQL, or Sybase. Although most DBMS vendors have improved on manageability over the years, based on customer feedback, Microsoft SQL Server tends to have the best ratios.
I believe that although you should try to achieve the 40:1 ratio and the 5 terabyte cap, consider establishing your own baseline based on the database inventory and DBAs and using that as the basis for improving the ratio over time.
I would love to hear about your database-to-DBA ratios and what's working and what's not in your organization when it comes to database administration.
Khwaja Imran

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Female • 45 weeks
Puppy ID #628253
DOB November 16, 2019
Available I'm ready today!
Color Red
Mom's Weight 22 - 25 lbs
Dad's Weight 25 - 30 lbs
Registry AKC
4/4 steps complete
Bonded with Mom
Old Enough
Weighs Enough
One of two distinct breeds known as "Corgis," these low-to-the-ground pups are loveable and devoted. They are the oldest breed of herding dog, used by farmers to herd cattle. This breed's body is often twice as long as its height, but it is agile and active and requires daily exercise. Pembroke Welsh Corgis are intelligent, easily trained to do tricks, and are excellent with children and families. They thrive on human companionship and have an overwhelming desire to please their families. They usually make great guard dogs as well. Read More
We do all of the 'ruff' work - screening and vetting breeders, performing health checks and coordinating travel so you can focus on what really matters: welcoming home your new furry family member! Learn more
PuppySpot will help find the right puppy for you. Search by breed or take our Breed Match Quiz to find the perfect furry friend.
Connect with your very own Puppy Concierge, who will help you find your new best friend!
A friendly Puppy Manager will help get your pup home safely! Take a peek at our pup-friendly travel options.
Congrats on your new furry family member! Don't forget to share your Wet Nose Moments on social media using #PuppySpot.
Pembroke Welsh Corgi
WE DID THE DRIVE TO PICK UP LADY BECAUSE WE DID NOT WANT TO HAVE HER SITTING IN HER WASTE. iT WAS FROM iDAHO TO iNDIANA A VERY LONG TRIP.
Elaine L.
Pembroke Welsh Corgi
Puppy spot is an amazing company to work with Every person that handled my purchase was very professional and got back to me the same day if I had a question. The Delivery service was amazing They truly made the whole experience quiet pleasant.
Sara H.
Pembroke Welsh Corgi
My experience with PuppySpot was great. They did a good job of keeping me updated on the process and delivered her as expected. Nutmeg is an adorable new member of the family.


text:
Blog Excerpts
What's the Deal with "Auld Lang Syne"?
January 2, 2012
Ben Trawick-Smith is an actor with a deep interest in English dialects. On his Dialect Blog, he takes on a range of interesting linguistic issues. His latest post is perfect for the new year: it's all about the song that we butcher every New Year's Eve, "Auld Lang Syne." Get enlightened about the Scottish tune here.


text:
A proactive Newcastle construction contractor registered his interest in a client on the PPSR (Personal Property Security Register). When that client, also based in the Newcastle and Hunter region, went into liquidation the contractor was listed as a secured creditor. As a result the contractor is in line to recover all his money before unsecured creditors, will not be subject to preferential payment claw back and will also rank above the ATO.
Insolvency statistics show that winding up orders and liquidations have increased in Newcastle and the Hunter over the last 12 months.
Legally binding Terms of Trade, PPSR registration and sound credit management practices including proactive Debt Recovery and thorough Credit Checking is required to protect your business and its cash flow.
We can help your business be in a strong position should a client not pay you or even go into liquidation through the following services:
- Terms of Trade packages
- Commercial Contracts
- Residential Contracts
- PPSR Registration and advice
- Equifax Checking and Monitoring
- Subcontractor Agreements
- Chattel Lease
- Credit Management advice
- Debt Collection
Contact us for a no obligation initial review of your current Terms of Trade documentation and Credit Management procedures.


text:
Brashear High School tightens security following Wednesday's shooting
Extra police, counselors on hand for students, staff in Beechview
Pittsburgh Public Schools are taking extra measures to reassure students, parents and staff.
The district is not only stepping up safety with extra police, but it's also providing extra counselors to help students and staff talk about what Wednesday's shooting near Brashear High School.
Police officers were stationed outside the school, at the entrance and the front door. The increased security will remain in place Thursday and Friday as students arrive and once they are dismissed.
VIDEO: Watch Amber Nicotra's report from Beechview
Matt McShane, a senior at Brashear, says he parked his car near where the gunman opened fire. He says his parents were concerned when he told him.
"Once I told them my car was right there, they were just nervous about me coming back because you never know what could happen," McShane said. "It's scary because I'm walking down here, and he could have thought I was one of them and could have shot at me."
Those concerns prompted school officials to put extra counselors on hand at the school.
SLIDESHOW: Police converge at Brashear after street shooting
Pittsburgh Public School Superintendent Dr. Linda Lane met with the staff this morning, instructing them to pay close attention to how students may be feeling.
"We asked the staff to be honest, about how something happened and not try to pretend that we can gloss it over and not even talk about it because kids will need to talk," Lane said.
Lane applauds the staff for their quick response Wednesday.
As a precaution, Brashear High School and Pittsburgh South Hills 6-8 will be on modified lockdown for Thursday and Friday. A modified lockdown means only students, staff, and visitors with a scheduled appointment will be able to enter the school building. Police will be on site as students arrive for class and when they are dismissed.
"We've gotten tremendous support from city police, Pittsburgh police, and so they're going to have a presence during the day today," Lane said. "Our school police officers, as you see, are here in force today, to have a presence at the school."
The hope is that Wednesday's shooting is an isolated incident.
"I encourage kids if they see anything ,hear anything, Facebook, Twitter, whatever, please say something to an adult and so that city police can maybe follow up," Lane said.
"It's just ridiculous you can't even go to school and be safe," McShane said. "You have to worry about getting shot, or beat up or anything. I'm just trying to get out of here."


text:
In the Fox Movietone newsreels and outtakes of Nazi rallies, says Herzstein, "one senses the enthusiasm, the communion between leader and masses?. Hitler is often seen standing in the presence of his friend and foreign press chief Ernst Hanfstaengl, apparently oblivious to the prying movie camera?. Hitler, in part a media creation, was better equipped to manipulate the masses by putting them on the movie screen. He made them part of the media action, and the outtakes show us how that was done." (Herzstein, p. 317) Hitler's rivals and adversaries, including his predecessor as chancellor, von Papen, the Austrian leader Dollfuss, and the Social Democrat Dittman all appear in the Fox footage in a negative or unflattering light by comparison.
One big fan of Fox Movietone News was the Italian fascist dictator Benito Mussolini, who was given the opportunity to make one of his famous bravura speeches for the Fox camera. According to Herzstein, one of the first sound newsreels shown in the United States depicted Mussolini in March 1929 speaking in English directly to the American people, saying: "Your talking newsreel has tremendous possibilities. Let me speak through it in twenty cities in Italy once a week and I need no other power." (Herzstein, p. 318) In the mind of the Duce, newsfilm was thus already the handmaiden of fascist power. Herzstein's extensive survey of the Fox Movietone archive for 1930-1935 apparently yielded no examples of any criticism or unfavorable coverage of the fascist dictators, since none is mentioned in his article.
If we do not remember the past, we may end up repeating it, as infants, states the conclusion.
If the past is deliberately erased before it's forgotten, as with the fake al-Qaeda events, does humanity split into infants and old folks?
Webster Tarpley normally tears apart the intelligence network, but very smoothly dances over the falsified victims, fake television and the like. It makes me think he is a very high level dupe (or perp?) indeed - allowed to admit the truth of TV fakery but unable to go into the details of just exactly what is so fake about it all.
Still, a perp has to type some truth to get credibility, and a dupe might get some things right ... and this article about Fox and propaganda is worth chewing on.


text:
General System Theory: Foundations, Development, Applications
G. Braziller, 2003 - Science - 289 pages
An attempt to formulate common laws that apply to virtually every scientific field, this conceptual approach has had a profound impact on such widely diverse disciplines as biology, economics, psychology, and demography.
From inside the book
3 pages matching tion in this book
Where's the rest of this book?
Results 1-3 of 3
What people are saying - Write a review
We haven't found any reviews in the usual places.
On the History of Systems Theory
Trends in Systems Theory
56 other sections not shown
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
allometric animals appears applied approach aspects atoms basic Bertalanffy biological catabolism causality cell characteristics chemical classical classical physics closed systems complex components consideration considered constant contrast cultural cybernetics defined differential equations dynamic elements energy entities entropy equifinality equilibrium essentially evolution example existence experience expressed fact feedback fields formulation function game theory graph theory growth curves homeostasis homeostatic human behavior important increase individual information theory interaction isomorphic kinetics language laws living organism Lotka machine mathematical means mechanisms mechanistic mental metabolic rate modern nature open systems organismic phenomena philosophy physics physiological possible present principle problems processes protein psychology psychophysical quantitative reaction reality regulations relations scientific sense servomechanisms similar so-called social sciences society specific steady structure symbolic system concept system theory teleology theoretical theory of open thermodynamics tion Unity of Science vitalistic Volterra whole world picture
References to this book
The Roots of Modern Environmentalism
David Pepper,John W. Perkins,Martyn J. Youngs
No preview available - 1984
All Book Search results »


text:
There will be many changes coming for American as it integrates US Airways into its operations. One change we thought would be impactful to our travelers is the US Airways Shuttle becoming the American Airlines Shuttle, which was effective October 17, 2015. The shuttle will continue to operate between Boston Logan International (BOS), New York LaGuardia (LGA) and Reagan National Airport (DCA).
Here are the specific changes travelers taking the shuttle may notice at DCA:
We will keep our travelers updated as changes continue to occur through the American Airlines/ US Airways integration.


text:
Landscape Designs Strategies
Strategies On Landscaping That You Need To Know
Have you ever really thought about how many people see the outside of your home? Only a small fraction of these people will actually end up setting foot into it. So now, while you are thinking about this, do you think that you do enough so that people can get the true impression of what your house looks like on the inside? If not, then take the time to read the following article, in order to get some good ideas on what you can do.
Landscape Design
One of the most important tips one can use with regards to landscaping is to come up with a plan before you start doing anything. It is important to carefully consider exactly what you want your yard to look like, and then make a detailed plan as to what steps you will need to take.
Use native plants when fixing your yard. Native plants require less maintenance as they are already in their ideal climate. This means you won't have to spend so much time maintaining the plants in your yard. You can research native plants in your area by going to your local home and garden store.
Hopefully, this article has stimulated the landscaper in you, which can bring out the appearance that your home deserves. Let the beauty on the outside of your home, speak to all the strangers that pass by your home on a daily basis. You can transform your home to be the envy of anyone who passes by.


text:
OIF Summary, Oct. 6, 2009: Forces Arrest Terrorist Leader, Other Suspects in Iraq
Dispatches from the Front:
WASHINGTON, Oct. 6, 2009 -- Iraqi forces, with U.S. advisors, arrested a terrorist leader and other suspected terrorists in operations in Iraq today and yesterday, military officials reported.
Iraqi forces, with U.S. advisors, arrested Badr Sarhan Shihan, the region's Islamic State of Iraq leader, yesterday near Tuz Khurmatu, south of Kirkuk.
Shihan is a warranted criminal and active recruiter for the Islamic State of Iraq terrorist organization, which is closely tied to al-Qaida in Iraq. Iraqi forces questioned and arrested an additional suspect during the operation who was determined to be an accomplice to criminal activity near Kirkuk.
In a separate operation yesterday, the force arrested four suspects near Tarmiyah, northwest of Baghdad. The security team searched several buildings and apprehended a key member of a Ramadi vehicle-bomb network. The suspect also is believed to be responsible for transporting several tons of explosive material to Baghdad for use in bomb attacks against Iraqi security forces and civilians in the area.
During the same operation, three additional suspects were questioned and identified as associates of vehicle- bomb networks in northern and central Iraq. Iraqi security forces also discovered material used for explosive devices.
The forces arrested all four suspects without incident and cleared the area of explosive material, officials said.
Elsewhere, Iraqi police arrested six suspects in western Iraq today during two operations targeting al-Qaida in Iraq members and conspirators.
Iraqi forces, with U.S. advisors, searched several buildings for a warranted al-Qaida in Iraq member who supports and facilitates terrorist operations near Kirkuk. The security team encountered three suspects who, after questioning, were identified as associates of the warranted al-Qaida in Iraq member. Iraqi authorities on scene arrested the three suspects.
In a separate operation near Qara Tapa, northeast of Baghdad, Iraqi police, with U.S. advisors, searched for an al-Qaida in Iraq member who operates throughout Diyala province and is known to provide weapons training for al-Qaida in Iraq members.
During the security operation, the Iraqi police apprehended three suspects, who were arrested based on evidence found at the scene linking the three to criminal activity, officials said.
(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq news releases.)
Labels: Dispatches from the Front, GWOT, Iraq, Military, OIF, Terrorism


text:
Green Day teases L.A. show, releases Clash-influenced snippet
Once a punk band goes Broadway, there are a couple of easy options. One, just embrace it and go bigger, with choirs on every song, an album full of mini-suites and strings, strings everywhere. The other option is dial it back, strip it down and return to punk rock basics. Long before Green Day took "American Idiot" to Broadway, London's the Clash had a Broadway stint itself, ultimately performing 17 gigs at Bond's International Casino in the spring of 1981.
Green Day today released what appears to be a sly little nod to punk rock history, posting about 30 seconds of a new song, of which the video is below, that brings in bits of "This Is Radio Clash" as well as the Clash's "Magnificent Seven." The former is heard in the staccato rhythm that opens the song, and the latter is heard in the way the Green Day song re-appropriates the Clash's bass-driven "Magnificent Seven" melody.
Or maybe it's all just a coincidence. After all, drawing any conclusions based on 30 seconds of a song is a little ridiculous anyway, but that's what we bloggers do.
Yet Green Day fans in L.A. may be lucky enough to get a full reveal of the band's upcoming three albums -- "¡Uno!," "¡Dos!" and "¡Tre!" -- at what will be a not-entirely-secret local gig. Just as the band unfurled "21st Century Breakdown" with a small Hollywood gig in 2009, Green Day vocalist Billie Joe Armstrong unveiled on Twitter that the band would be hosting a "rock 'n' roll sex party show" soon in our fair city. Few other hints were dropped, other than Armstrong's declaration that you could bring your own booze.
And for anyone who blanched at the three-figure prices to see "American Idiot" on Broadway, you'll be pleased to know that Armstrong said this show will be free. The first of Green Day's three new albums, ¡Uno!," isn't due until Sept. 25. Watch the teaser below, which also appears to offer a preview of new song titles:
Ice-T gets back to hip-hop roots in 'The Art of Rap'
America, don't hate us for the Offspring's 'Cruising California'
Nicki Minaj, Glen Campbell, Wilco among L.A.'s top summer concerts
-- Todd Martens
Image: Billie Joe Armstrong in 2010. Creidt: Los Angeles Times


text:
The First September Call-Ups
A quick post following the PawSox 4-1 loss at Lehigh Valley on Monday night.
The initial September call-ups to Boston are Brian Anderson, Joey Gathright, and Chris Woodward (plus George Kottaras who was still on Pawtucket's roster, but hasn't been with the team for several days). There are likely to be a few more promotions in the days to come.
It's also been confirmed that Daisuke Matsuzaka will start for the PawSox on Friday night at McCoy Stadium.


text:
I LOVE PARIS: H&M is gearing up for another runway extravaganza during Paris Fashion Week.
For the second year running, the Swedish fast-fashion giant plans to unveil its fall collection on the sidelines of the ready-to-wear collections. Newly dubbed H&M Studio, the limited-edition line created by a dedicated in-house team, will be featured in a runway show on Feb. 26 to be streamed live at hm.com.
This story first appeared in the January 9, 2014 issue of WWD. Subscribe Today.
"It's so exciting to show H&M Studio in Paris, and to present the season's key trends and pieces in one collection. H&M Studio is about our love of fashion, at the heart of everything we do," said Ann-Sofie Johansson, H&M's creative head of design.
Celebrities including Ashley Olsen, Chloë Grace Moretz and Emma Roberts attended last year's event, held in a megatent at the Musée Rodin. H&M declined to unveil the venue for this year's show. Last fall, the retailer presented its spring lineup at its showroom in New York.


text:
Select An Industry:
Liquefied oxygen, nitrogen, argon, and carbon dioxide are stored on your site at very low temperature. When gas is required, the liquid is vaporized for supply to your process. For cryogenic applications such as food freezing that require a low-temperature liquid supply, the liquid is delivered from the storage tank to your process by an insulated line.
A typical installation normally consists of a tank, a vaporizer, and controls. Systems are selected based on your volume, desired pressure, purity level, flow rate, and operating pattern.
A typical liquid storage system used for argon, nitrogen, and oxygen.
Tanks The storage vessels generally used for liquefied argon, nitrogen, and oxygen are 500-, 1,500-, 3,000-, 6,000-, 9,000-, and 11,000-gallon tanks. Liquid hydrogen storage vessels are nominally 1,500-, 4,500-, 9,000-, and 20,000-gallon tanks.
Cutaway of a typical tank.
Ambient Air Vaporizer While steam and electric vaporizers are occasionally used, the most widely employed vaporizers obtain heat from the surrounding air. These "ambient air" vaporizers are provided in arrays of many-finned tubes to provide vaporization rates up to 40,000 scfh per array. Additional units are added to provide higher vaporization rates.
Control Manifold Control manifolds are designed to control the pressure to your houseline and to protect that line from excessively cold gas or possible liquid carryover. The manifold consists of a temperature control valve and a pressure control valve. Also included are necessary block-and-bypass valves, as well as a pressure indicator and check valve. There are two basic units—one for rates up to approximately 23,000 scfh and another for rates up to approximately 43,000 scfh.
A typical control manifold.
*Note that the liquid storage system used in your region may be different; please check with your local office.
If you would prefer to contact us by phone, you can call any of our Air Products locations worldwide by visiting Worldwide Locations & Phone Numbers.
This site uses cookies to store information on your computer. Some are essential to make our site work; others help us to better understand our users. By using the site, you consent to the placement of these cookies. Read our Legal Notice to learn more.


text:
So, it is official, Canon will not be appearing at Focus in March.
What would be interesting to know is the real "why?"
What would be interesting to know is the real "why?"
+1 canon will be there as will i anyone else going?traveller said:You're a year out of date, this thread is from 2011!
You'll be please to know that the FOCUS ON IMAGING 2012 website states in big yellow letters:
"NEWS: Canon will be exhibiting at FOCUS 2012, more news to follow soon. "
canon are at focus in 2012 they did not attend in 2011.Arkarch said:>>Focus on Imaging had an attendance number of over 37,000 last year; however, CES 2011, which Canon attended (with a large booth) saw 140,000+ visitors.<<
2012 CES officially reported 153,000 attendees. To add - CES is covered extensively by major media in television, web, and print. Nikon, Canon, Fuji, Sony were all in Central Hall; with Nikon covering the floor with yellow brochure bags and Canon signage across the front pillars.
While Focus may attract a more industry-knowledgeable crowd, CES allows for market expansion and global visibility.
But there is one truth about trade shows. The expense to properly exhibit is very high - and it is hard to reason the return on investment. But exhibitors have to be there. So Canon not at Focus maybe a statement about Focus's impact more than about Canon's budget.


text:
About my Policy Fiddling Hobby, Part 1
I've been swamped with Cataclysm and finals preparations…despite what Kurn may say, for me, Cataclysm preparation has very little to do with in-game stuff and a lot to do with pre-studying for finals so I can actually play the expansion without ruining my GPA. However, like Kurn, I'm a team player and I did contribute to my guild's Cataclysm preparation by pitching in with policy updates.
That's right, guild policy update. This post is going to be about guild policy updates.
I know the term policy has a tendency to trigger an irresistible urge to sleep, especially if guild politics aren't your thing. Just grab some coffee and I promise I won't be too dry.
As a matter of fact, I think this is such an exciting and fascinating topic that I've split it into two parts! The first part (this one!) is about my experience and my attempts to convince you that guild policies aren't horrible, scary things. The second part will go into specifics with some examples of how I handled the wording. (I freely admit part II exists for the sole purpose of showing off quotes I'm proud of.)
I like knowing what's expected of me, don't you?
I volunteered to update our guild policies. I'm not an officer, heck, with my crazy lifestyle, I struggle to keep my raider status. But I've disliked my guild's website since day 1. Rules, details about guild functioning and culture, loot system explanations, etc., were scattered throughout individual threads in several forums, mixed in with regular chitchat threads. Some information about the guild wasn't available at all.
Had I not heard and read about the workings of Conquest from Matticus (our GM) and Sydera, had this been a random guild website, I wouldn't have applied. (And I would have missed out.)
Public, clear, comprehensive policies are important to all guild and potential guild members for a few reasons :
1- Guild policies give a potential applicant an overview of the guild's culture. By reading the policies, a guild shopper can see if this guild is in line with what they're looking for, thus reducing unimpressed recruit turnover.
2- Easy to find, comprehensive and clear policies are a sign of transparent and consistent leadership. In English that means you'll always know what's going on and everyone will be treated the same way by each member of the leadership. Conquest's leadership is extremely transparent, but the limited and scattered information on the website didn't convey that impression.
3- When you know what's expected of you, it's much easier to act accordingly.
Drafting guild policies as a non-officer
I've often seen bloggers complain that they can't get involved in guild management without being an officer. These bloggers just don't know how to effectively take initiatives. The key is to find an area that needs improvement, an area that the leadership realizes needs improvement but no one wants to take care of. Preferably an area you enjoy being involved with.
I love editing policies and constitutions (you should have seen me while I was involved in student politics). We had a brand new PvP division, Matt was in the midst of revamping the website and another officer pointed out that our policies needed updating. I wiped the foam from my mouth and jumped in.
It's actually good to have a non-officer fix the policies, making the information on the website reflect how the guild currently functions. How much a non-officer knows about guild functioning measures how effectively the leadership communicates with the membership. A non-officer obviously wouldn't know the details of new, unannounced changes to policies, but most of the updates I made involved changes that had already been announced and implemented, only they hadn't been translated into policy format.
Between sitting in on an officer meeting to take notes, tossing emails back and forth with Matt, perusing our forums for old announcements and using my knowledge of the guild, I was able to draft a current policy to every topic I could think of.
Note that as a non-officer, my job was to translate the leadership's ideas into a concise and clear text format, not to pass judgement about the validity of these ideas. Which was fine by me. Matt likes to come up with a lot of ideas. I'm easygoing and will accept most ideas. As long as they're recorded with an optimal terminology and consistent font.
I did have to take some liberties to fill informational gaps, however anything new was colour coded so Matt could easily identify it and decide whether or not he wanted to keep it.
There's a huge advantage to getting involved as a non-officer. When you're an officer, you're expected to be involved with everything all the time. Your work is taken for granted. When you're not an officer, you can get involved in what and when you want, and, as long as you know your place, everyone is thrilled that you're helping out.
Written Policy versus Announcements
A policy change announcement isn't the policy itself. The goals of an announcement is to describe the new policy and convince the guild that this new idea is a good one. The convincing part can be passionate and creative. The written policy is creative in a different way. It describes the new rule or procedure in a manner that:
1- Is comprehensive.
2- Is as concise as possible.
3- Eliminates any risk of confusion.
While policy writing sounds like an incredibly tedious task, playing with words until the most efficient terminology is found is actually quite enjoyable. It's like a cross-word. I agree, it's very time consuming, but I love puzzles and to me, updating our guild policies and creating the perfect string of words is a blast.
For something more specific and some examples, check out part II (after I finish writing it).Explore posts in the same categories: Guild actions
Tags: getting involved as a non-officer, guild policies, guild stuff, policy writing, writingBoth comments and pings are currently closed.
6 Comments on "About my Policy Fiddling Hobby, Part 1"
December 5, 2010 at 10:22 pm
Outstanding post. There is a LOT going on there, and in my experience, nobody actually wants to do the job, but it does need to be done. As you pointed out, it's the forward-facing part of your guild, and WILL drive people away if hey don't know better. They should make you an officer-in-charge-of-keeping-that-stuff-up-to-date or something.
I am looking forward to part 2!
December 6, 2010 at 2:02 am
Yeah but you know, if I promoted to her an officer, that means she's gotta actually show up on time, and have all this responsibility and not to mention I'd have to give her a raise, and get her increased dental and medical benefits, 6 weeks paid vacations, babysitting for the kids, and then theres taxes to take care of and…
Anyway, she did a great job with it. I just need to clarify up the rest. Complete godsend.
If only I can find someone to clean my room.
December 5, 2010 at 10:50 pm
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by grimmtooth, The MMO Hobo's Feed. The MMO Hobo's Feed said: About my Policy Fiddling Hobby, Part 1: I've been swamped with Cataclysm and finals preparations…despite what Ku… http://bit.ly/f00nib […]
December 6, 2010 at 2:10 am
@Matticus – Well, you know. With great Pally, comes great responsibility.


text:
Melbourne skipper Cameron Smith has booted a last-gasp field goal to sink good mate Cooper Cronk and the Sydney Roosters in a memorable 9-8 win at Adelaide Oval.
Smith showed nerves of steel to kick the winner from 40m out on Friday night as his side provisionally moved into third on the NRL ladder.
Playing against his former side for the first time, Cronk had a chance to send the game into golden point in the dying seconds but had his field goal attempt charged down by Ryan Hoffman.
Hoffman twice smothered Cronk's attempt at one point in a helter-skelter final five minutes that also had Cameron Munster twice miss shots at field goal.
Dylan Napa's involvement in State of Origin III appears doubtful after the Queensland prop left the field with 10 minutes remaining with a suspected medial ligament strain.
After twisting his left knee in a Nelson Asofa-Solomona tackle, he went straight up the tunnel and is racing the clock 12 days out from the game three dead rubber.
The match was mostly a dour affair but a thrilling finish served the purpose of spreading the rugby league gospel in Australian rules heartland.
The Roosters were reduced to 12 men in the 50th minute when Victor Radley was sin-binned for a late high shot on Christian Welch.
Bulldogs v Panthers Round 20: Presser - Steve Georgallis
Bulldogs v Panthers Round 20: Presser - Ivan Cleary
Williams skips across
The Storm finally took advantage when Asofa-Solomona crashed over off a Smith short ball for the first try of the game at the one-hour mark.
It also allowed Smith to pass 2300 career points, becoming just the second player in history to do so after Canterbury great Hazem El Masri.
Asofa-Solomona quickly went from hero to villain after spilling the ball from the kick-off, allowing debutant Matt Ikuvalu to score in the corner.
Latrell Mitchell converted from the sidelines to lock up the scores at eight-all with 16 on the clock but missed a penalty attempt from right in front just four minutes later.
Earlier, the two sides went into halftime locked at 2-2 after an opening 40 minutes marked by 15 penalties and some staunch defence from both sides.
At one point the Storm had six sets in a row on the Roosters' line but were turned away with Luke Keary coming up with a desperate try-saver on Suliasi Vunivalu.
Mitchell had a chance to give his side a two-point lead but missed a penalty conversion on the stroke of halftime.
Storm and NSW winger Josh Addo-Carr injured his ankle after he was trodden on by Blues teammate Mitchell, however Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy said he would be fine.
"I'm happy to get away with the win, it's a been a very disrupted week with the rep week but it's been the same with most teams in the competition," Bellamy said of the victory.
"Both teams did their best to lose it to be quite honest. Perhaps the Roosters did just a little bit better job than we did."
Despite his side's gutsy defensive efforts, Roosters coach Trent Robinson said his side needed to find more in attack.
"We both snuffed out each other's opportunities for most of the part and they took theirs with the field goal and we missed ours," Robinson said.
"There were some good opportunities for us to take advantage but we didn't and they did."


text:
*Let's welcome the Irish to the world of Galaxy fans. Striker Robbie Keane, part of a misfiring Galaxy attack, is now being criticised by Irish fans for a lack of goal production ahead of today's crucial, daunting second group game against Spain (live at 11:45 a.m. on ESPN2). Ireland are on the brink of elimination after losing to Croatia, who are down 1-0 to Italy as I write this on ESPN2.
*It's worth noting that the train wreck that was Peter Nowak's tenure with the Philadelphia Union has come to a close, but not before gutting a promising team sending ther likes of popular defender Danny Califf to Chivas USA and allowing former UCLA midfielder Kyle Nakazawa of Palos Verdes Estates to return to Southern California with the Galaxy.
*Meanwhile, a struggling Galaxy meet a struggling Portland Timbers club Sunday at Home Depot Center in what could be an ugly Father's Day clash. What are the odds dad will get a tie (and a scoreless one at that) after all on his special day?
*Three Southern Californians were named to the U.S. Under-15 team that will begin play Monday against Spain in the Copa Mexico de Naciones tournament in Mexico City.
They are goalkeeper Abraham Romero (Galaxy Academy; Altadena); defender Malcolm Jones (Chivas USA Academy; Chino Hills); and Alejandro Vergara (Galaxy Academy; Long Beach).


text:
ElCicco#CBR4Review#19: Let's Pretend This Never Happened (A Mostly True Memoir) by Jenny Lawson The Bloggess
I will confess that I do not follow The Bloggess,aka Jenny Lawson. I found out about her because some Facebook friends posted a link to her blog entry "And That's Why You Should Learn to Pick Your Battles," about a large metal chicken named Beyonce. It was hilarious and so I checked The Bloggess's web site (www.thebloggess.com). I saw that Lawson had a book coming out (including the Beyonce story), and I bought it based on the one essay I had read. If you like David Sedaris and Augusten Burroughs, Lawson should be on your reading list. Like them, Lawson's focus is often on her dysfunctional family, highlighting the warts but written with great humor and love. She also writes unflinchingly about her own struggles with anxiety and OCD but never loses the funny. It's an amazing feat, in my opinion.
This is a great book for quotes — pretty much every page had some witty/snarky/hilarious comment on an outrageously unbelievable but mostly true event in her life. "The Psychopath on the Other Side of the Bathroom Door" is about Lawson's attempt at a colon cleanse using excessive amounts of Ex-Lax. According to Lawson, "…there would have been no way to maintain the sensual mystery of womanhood if anyone had heard the noises coming from that bathroom." The chapter on her 15 years in Human Resources,"The Dark and Disturbing Secrets HR Doesn't Want you to Know," is especially rich in hilarity. Some of my favorite quotes:
- "Choosing to work in HR is like choosing to work in the complaint department in hell, except way more frustrating, because at least in hell you'd be able to agree that Satan is a real dick-wagon without having to toe the company line."
- "…HR is the only department actively paid to look at porn."
- "…sometimes you get brought in for an interview just to settle a bet."
Lawson kept a notebook about the most interesting cases that crossed her desk over the 15 years, which involved a surprisingly large number of penis photographs being emailed or left in the office printer.
Taxidermy is a running theme throughout the book. Lawson's father has a taxidermy business and once presented his daughters with a genuine dead squirrel puppet. Lawson has some unusual "stuffed pets" of her own including a boar's head named James Garfield, an alligator named Jean Louise and a mouse, Hamlet von Schnitzel, who is featured on the book's cover. [I still haven't figured out how to put a picture in my reviews. I tried very hard to include the cover with Hamlet von Schnitzel.]
Even truly sad experiences, such as miscarriages, the death of her dog and her struggle with generalized anxiety disorder and OCD, include some humor. Lawson describes the agony and terror of attending dinner parties where she would hide in the bathroom due to anxiety. This might seem surprising as you read her intelligent and witty blogs, but she explains, "…I can actually come across as reasonably witty and coherent in e-mail, because I have time to think about what a normal, filtered, mentally stable adult would write before I press 'Send.'" Real life/real time situations are a very different matter. Here is her description of what an anxiety attack feels like:
"I feel the panic build up like a lion caught in my chest, clawing its way out of my throat. I try to hold it back but my dinner mates can sense something has changed…. I vainly hope they'll [people on the street who see her after she flees the scene] assume I'm just drunk, but I know they know. Every wild-eyed glance of mine screams, MENTAL ILLNESS." When her friends or husband of 15 years Victor find her, she won't talk and they assume it's because she is embarrassed, but she writes, "I keep my mouth closed tightly because I don't know whether I could stop myself from screaming if I opened my mouth." This is a serious, honest depiction of what must be a traumatizing experience, and yet later in the chapter, Lawson is able to inject the humor again. After a particularly disastrous dinner party experience, she says, "…Victor made me leave, swearing to never take me to another dinner party again. It was hard to argue with him, but I did point out that the party was kind of a win, because no one saw my vagina. Victor says we have different definitions of what a 'win' is."
I especially love Lawson's Epilogue, in which she looks back over her life so far and writes "…you are not defined by life's imperfect moments but by your reaction to them." She is an excellent example of this, and she recognizes the importance of her family and friends in helping her through the imperfections.
I would like to finish by declaring that I initially felt weird reviewing a book by a popular blogger whose blog I'd never read , but I now feel that by buying the book instead of reading the blog, I am a better Bloggess fan. Some might argue that those who have followed the blog religiously, Tweeted with her, and provided fodder for her writing are better. But I bought her book. That's money in her pocket. And I bought it on my Kindle which means I can't even share it with anyone. If you want to read it (and you should), you'll have to go buy it your own damn self. You're welcome, Jenny Lawson.


text:
- Font:
- +
- -
July 10, 2012
Guests: Sen. Sherrod Brown, Chrystia Freeland, John Blake, Chris Doherty,
Chris Doherty, John Blake, Andrew Kaczynski
MICHAEL SMERCONISH, HOST: Defining Romney before he defines himself.
Let`s play HARDBALL.
Good evening. I`m Michael Smerconish, in for Chris Matthews.
Leading off tonight: Richie Rich for president? If there`s one big
takeaway from President Obama`s big tax announcement it`s that he`s trying
to frame Mitt Romney as Richie Rich. The tax cut proposal itself is likely
to go nowhere, but throw in Romney`s tax cuts for the wealthy, his homes,
his Cadillacs, his "corporations are people" comment, and you can see the
strategy. Romney is for the rich, Obama defends the middle class. Whether
it works may determine who wins in November.
Also, "Dirty, Angry Money." Lost in the news about Republican fund-
raising is how much it might affect House and Senate races. Karl Rove`s
Crossroads GPS has just dumped a million dollars, and maybe much more, to
unseat Ohio`s Sherrod Brown, which would likely give the Republicans the
Senate. Sherrod Brown joins us tonight.
Plus, we`ve got some new poll numbers out from key swing states that
Mitt Romney has got to take if he`s going to win in November.
And what happened when the mayor of one city wanted to raise taxes and
the city council said no? The mayor busted city workers -- cops,
firefighters and other public employees -- to minimum wage. We`ll ask the
mayor how he defends that one.
Finally, did you ever want to rewrite history? Well, dozens of
members of Congress are doing just that, editing out embarrassing moments
from their Wikipedia pages. But Wikipedia is pushing back.
We begin with the Obama campaign`s attempt to paint Mitt Romney as
being for the rich. Howard Fineman is the editorial director of the
Huffington Post Media Group, Michael Steele was chairman of the Republican
Party. Both are MSNBC political analysts.
Gentlemen, I want to show you something that Vice President Biden --
he spoke to one of the largest Latino political organizations earlier today
-- what he had to say, a strong attack on Mitt Romney. Take a look.
JOSEPH BIDEN, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: When his father
was a candidate for president in 1968, his father released 12 years of tax
returns because he said, and I quote, "One year could be a fluke, perhaps
done for show," end of quote. That was his father.
His son has released only one year of his tax returns, making a lie of
the old adage, Like father, like son. He wants you to show your papers,
but he won`t show us his!
SMERCONISH: And of course, yesterday, the president also hit Romney.
He told a local New Hampshire station that Romney should be more open about
his finances.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is it your belief that it`s unpatriotic for
someone to have a Swiss bank account?
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, you know, I think
what`s important if you are running for president is that the American
people know who you are, what you`ve done, and that you`re an open book.
And you know, that`s been true of every presidential candidate dating back
to Mr. Romney`s father.
SMERCONISH: And finally today, at a town hall in Colorado, Mitt
Romney was asked about the attacks coming from the Democrats.
MITT ROMNEY (R-MA), FMR. GOV., PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I`m not going
to apologize for success at home and I`m not going to apologize for America
ROMNEY: I went out and began a business, and the business turned out
to be far more successful than I ever would imagine. We were able to
create jobs in our own little business, and some of the places that we
invested were able to create jobs, as well.
SMERCONISH: So Michael Steele, how does this all play? It occurs to
me that Americans do not resent wealth at the ballot box. If they did, JFK
would not have been elected. FDR would not have been elected. Michael
Bloomberg would not have been elected.
What`s the net-net?
MICHAEL STEELE, FMR. RNC CHAIR, MSNBC POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, the
net-net is the narrative, and the narrative is one that you see the Obama
team trying carve very carefully about Mitt Romney, and that is that he`s
out of touch. He`s disconnected from real people, everyday folks.
The pushback by the Romney people has got to be one where Romney
himself gets in there and clearly defines his wealth in the context of the
American dream, aspirations, You can do better tomorrow than you`re doing
And that`s the central battle that you`re seeing being drawn -- the
battle lines between drawn right now between these two campaigns, one --
both around definitions of Romney.
Interestingly enough, the Obama team are trying to define Obama, as
well, but with less success so far because the president`s record, while
mixed on the economy and other thing -- he`s got more places to pivot to,
whereas Romney`s central argument has been, I`ve created the jobs, I`ve
done the business of business, give me the chance to show you what I can
do. And that`s a tougher sell when you`re trying to battle the idea that
you`re just for the rich guy.
SMERCONISH: Howard, are there some perils here because it could get
depicted as class warfare?
Well, I think there are. I think if the president and his allies end up
looking like they resent wealthy people and they`re going after them just
for the fact that they`re rich, I think that could hurt the president with
some independent voters in swing states.
But I can assure you from talking to some people advising the
president`s campaign and Democrats on the Hill, they`re perfectly will be
to take that risk right now because they think they`ve got Mitt Romney if
not on the run, at least at a slow trot.
They don`t think that Mitt Romney`s going to be able to get from today
until November 6th without showing more of his tax returns. They think
that there`s got to be some things in those tax returns that candidate
Romney doesn`t want revealed. And if they can keep the press interested in
the story -- and that`s a big part of this -- then they think the pressure
will build.
SMERCONISH: Well, Democrats...
FINEMAN: And I think that`s a big challenge for them.
SMERCONISH: Let me show you both what Democratic strategist Joe
Trippi had to say. He said it`s the cumulative effect of these attacks
against Romney. He told Politico, quote, "On a 0 to 10 scale, you get a
bunch of 2s and 3s, but when people look at them and you combine the Swiss
bank account and a guy who wants to extend tax breaks on the wealthy, and
you start to get a 7. That`s the danger for the Romney people. It`s not
this issue by itself, it`s the combination."
Michael Steele, I think that`s the direction in which you were headed,
that the cumulative...
STEELE: Absolutely.
SMERCONISH: ... effect of this...
STEELE: Absolutely, Michael. It`s death by a thousand cuts. You
know, I could -- I could take you out with one blow, but then I create
sympathy in the electorate about how I come after you. We saw that in the
Republican primary, where the Romney team was so heavy-handed against Newt
Gingrich that there was a backlash to such heavy-handedness.
But this effort, death by a thousand cuts -- you`ve got a prick here,
a cut there, a slice there. It`s the slow bleed. And that creates the
overall impression, where people, instead of feeling sorry for you, then
ask, well, if you`re not responding, there must be something true about it.
And that`s why you`re seeing the pushback by a lot of conservatives
especially, but establishment types, as well, for the Romney team to push
back against this narrative about Bain, his tax returns and so forth, to
avoid -- to stem the flow of blood, if you will, from all those cuts that
are being accumulated.
SMERCONISH: Well, let me ask you this question. If you were still
running the RNC, would you be calling somebody and saying, Hey, bring forth
the tax returns? Is that one of the ways that you think the bleeding gets
STEELE: I think it`s one of the ways where you say, Look, if there`s
nothing there, there`s no there there, don`t create a there.
SMERCONISH: Right.
STEELE: In other words, put out as much information as you can. Even
if you don`t release 12 years` worth of tax returns, at least three, four,
five. You begin that drip back the other way. And it helps to offset some
of the noise and the bleeding, if you will, from the cuts that you`re
SMERCONISH: Howard Fineman, on the issue of the tax returns,
Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz continued the Democratic attack
today on Mitt Romney, calling on him to release more years of the returns.
Here`s what she had to say.
REP. DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (D-FL), DNC CHAIR: That`s the problem.
We don`t know, I mean, because Mitt Romney has only released one year of
tax returns and an estimate of another year. Mitt Romney needs to come
clean and release, you know, multiple years of his tax returns so we can
see why he invested in a Bermuda corporation and transferred to it to his
wife`s name the day before he became governor of Massachusetts, so we can
see why he`s invested in Swiss bank accounts and accounts in the Cayman
Most folks that I know, they make their investments in a bank in
America. They keep that -- most American businessmen invest here. And if
you`re running for president, that certainly should be your commitment.
SMERCONISH: And yesterday, former Mississippi governor Haley Barbour
was asked about Romney`s tax returns. Here`s what he had to say.
HALEY BARBOUR (R), FMR. MISSISSIPPI GOVERNOR: In Mississippi...
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Yes or no, tax returns -- should he return
-- release the tax returns?
BARBOUR: I would. But should it be an issue in the campaign? I
don`t think it amounts to diddly.
SMERCONISH: And finally, there was a very different take from Romney
surrogate Congressman Jason Chaffetz today. He was asked on CNN whether
Governor Romney should release more years of his returns, and he said this.
REP. JASON CHAFFETZ (R), UTAH: I think he has released the tax
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: More of them. More of them.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Should he release them or not?
CHAFFETZ: No. No, I don`t. I think he -- he`s a very successful...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why not, though? Why shouldn`t the American
people see those?
CHAFFETZ: He`s been very successful. He`s released everything that
he`s required to release, including paying more than 16 percent of his
income to charitable giving. So I think it`s a diversionary tactic. Most
people -- they don`t care about this! Governor Romney`s been very
successful. Get over it! It`s the reality.
SMERCONISH: All right, Howard Fineman, do most people care about this
FINEMAN: Well, I don`t think they care about this specific issue
obsessively. But as you`ve said and as Michael said, if you put the
secrecy of most of his financial transactions next to concerns about
outsourcing and offshoring that the Democrats have been poking around at,
next to their efforts to try to paint Mitt Romney into a corner on
defending tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, and if you sort of put the
aura of secrecy around the whole thing, then I do think you raise questions
about exactly what Mitt Romney`s up to, exactly what his agenda is, and
what his agenda would be for the presidency if he got it.
And that can put the -- and has put Mitt Romney on the defensive. The
president would much rather raise questions about what Mitt Romney`s real
intentions are should he be president...
SMERCONISH: You know...
FINEMAN: ... than to discuss the current economic condition. And by
the way, aside from the thousand cuts, we have not spent any time in this
segment, for example, talking about the rather bleak state of the American
economy. That`s what the Obama campaign wants, and in the last few days,
have succeeded.
SMERCONISH: Quick final comment from Michael. People watching might
say, Well, if this is such an effective narrative, why are we deadlocked at
STEELE: Well, that`s a very interesting question. The reality of it
is, people are right now at a point where they`re looking at both these
guys and they`re trying to assess whether or not they can continue with
what they know with Obama or do they take the chance with the businessman
who has a proven track record.
And that`s the real crux of the matter. I think Howard, though, makes
the final and most important point. It boils down to this economy...
SMERCONISH: Right.
STEELE: ... and how people equate, you know, the solutions on the
economy really will be determinative in terms of the outcome.
SMERCONISH: Thank you, both, Howard Fineman, Michael Steele, as
Coming up: "Dirty, Angry Money." Karl Rove just dumped a million
dollars into Ohio to unseat Sherrod Brown and give Republicans control of
the Senate. Senator Brown joins us next.
This is HARDBALL, the place for politics.
SMERCONISH: With four months to go before election day, we`ve got new
poll numbers in the presidential race. Let`s check the HARDBALL
According to a new "Washington Post"/ABC News poll, the race between
President Obama and Mitt Romney is tied 47 all. And a new Reuters/Ipsos
poll has Obama up 6, 49-43. We`ll have new poll numbers from some key
battleground states later in the program.
We`ll be right back.
SMERCONISH: Welcome back to HARDBALL. When it comes to "Dirty, Angry
Money," there are few senators who have had it thrown at them as
consistently as Ohio Democrat Sherrod Brown. According to the
HuffingtonPost, outside conservative groups have given more money to defeat
Senator Brown than any other senator in the country this year.
Conservative groups have spent $10.5 million to date. That`s more
than four times the amount spent by outside liberal groups. The money is
mainly coming from so-called "social welfare" groups, which do not have to
disclose their donors. One major player is Crossroads GPS, which was
founded by Karl Rove. The group has spent $2.5 million on ads targeting
Brown, and they have a new million-dollar campaign launching today.
Why has Sherrod Brown become such a target? We`ll ask him. Senator
Brown joins us now in a HARDBALL "Dirty, Angry Money" segment.
Senator, why you?
SEN. SHERROD BROWN (D), OHIO: Well, I think why me is because I`ve
been a strong progressive voice. I assume it`s oil companies spending
money in Ohio because of my opposition to tax breaks for the oil industry.
I assume it`s Wall Street banks because I want to end -- my legislation to
end "too big to fail," to really end "too big to fail." I assume it`s the
companies that want to outsource American jobs and benefit from that
outsourcing because of my Chinese currency jobs bill. I don`t know for
sure, but I think that`s what makes you a target in this business and...
SMERCONISH: Well, let`s underscore that point.
BROWN: You know, that`s the way it is.
SMERCONISH: Let`s underscore the point that you have to qualify this
by saying, "I assume, I assume, I assume" because there`s no disclosure
that`s required, at least at this stage.
BROWN: Yes, this is what`s -- it`s bad enough that billionaires and
huge corporations that have already too much power in our government, in
Congress, in the executive branch far too often, -- that they already have
that power, and then they can spend money without disclosure.
And that`s the importance of this whole citizens` movement. If you go
to SherrodBrown.com, you sign our petition -- we have more than 150,000
people already have signed up. This is going to take a citizens` movement
to take our democracy back because this money -- partly the Supreme Court
decision, partly the loopholes that were already there, when Exxon and the
big drug companies and Wall Street banks can have this kind of influence
with the electorate, not just with Congress. That`s why the citizens`
movement is so important.
So as I said earlier, SherrodBrown.com, sign our petition. It`ll help
us fight back. It`s one we`ve got to win.
SMERCONISH: Here`s what they`re doing with the money. This is an ad
that Crossroads is using against you. Let`s watch.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s time to play who`s the biggest supporter of
the Obama agenda in Ohio? It`s Sherrod Brown! Brown backed Obama`s agenda
a whopping 95 percent of the time. He voted for budget-busting "Obama
care" that adds $700,000 to the deficit, for Obama`s $453 billion tax
increase and even supported cap-and-trade, which could have cost Ohio over
100,000 jobs.
Tell Sherrod Brown, for real job growth, stop spending and cut the
SMERCONISH: Senator, why are liberal groups being outflanked in this
regard, not keeping pace thus far with these sort of expenditures?
BROWN: Well, I think groups that are more progressive don`t have the
resources. I mean, keep in mind that when the oil industry spends that
kind of money, when their side wins, they get tax breaks, they get weaker
environmental laws, they get anti-labor legislation. So there`s real
incentive for the individual billionaires to get their taxes cut, so they
It really is an investment to them. They invest tens of millions and
get billions in tax breaks and in benefits from weaker environmental laws
and anti-labor legislation.
SMERCONISH: Might labor offset this? I ask the question because "The
Wall Street Journal" reported today that organized labor groups spend a lot
more money on politics than previous estimates would have you believe,
about four times more.
According to "The Journal," quote, "Previous estimates have focused on
labor unions` filings with the federal election officials, which chronicle
contributions made directly to federal candidates and union spending in
support of candidates for Congress and the White House. But unions spend
far more money on a wider range of political activities, including
supporting state and local candidates and deploying what has long been seen
the unions` most potent political weapon, persuading members to vote as
unions want them to. The result is that labor could be a stronger
counterweight than commonly realized to super-PACs that today raise
millions from wealthy donors in many cases to support Republican candidates
and causes."
Truth to that? Could labor be your saving grace, the saving grace of
Democrats being outspent?
BROWN: Well, labor matters. I`m a subscriber to "The Wall Street
Journal." I picked it up in my driveway in Ohio today. That article
caught my attention, of course.
Keep in mind, they said more money from labor than they thought there
was from labor. It`s not more money from labor than all the billionaires
combined, by a long shot. Labor plays a role, but labor can only compete a
dollar for every five or for every ten when you have the Koch brothers and
you have Adelson and you have Exxon and you have these big companies that
outsource them. And they`re -- they`re worth tens and tens and tens and
tens of billions. Labor can`t do anything like that.
Labor`s very good at talking to their members. And when you talk
about voting the way labor wants, it`s elected labor union leaders who are
setting the agenda for labor, just like people who vote for political
So labor can`t compete in this -- at this level. Labor is going to
help try to fight back against some of this, but, you know, you`re looking
at a bunch of people that are paying union dues of maybe $100 or $150 a
month or a couple hundred dollars, in most unions, not that much.
SMERCONISH: Understood.
BROWN: It`s not even a comparison.
"The Wall Street Journal," which is -- is a pretty conservative
newspaper, factually, they`re generally good, but a pretty conservative
newspaper, of course puts that on the front page. It was well-written. It
was well-researched. But there was some bias in that direction making it
look like they could compete on an evening playing field with the Koch
brothers, but they can`t.
SMERCONISH: Understood.
BROWN: Exactly.
SMERCONISH: Senator Brown, thank you very much for you time. We
appreciate it.
BROWN: My pleasure. Thanks very much.
SMERCONISH: We`re now joined by Chrystia Freeland, editor of Thomson
Reuters Digital.
Chrystia, a lot of attention recently, including here on HARDBALL in
the last couple of nights, talking about the fund-raising of the
presidential campaigns and how the Obama campaign is being out-fund-raised
in the last couple of months by those forces for Governor Romney.
I think the untold story until now is how this might impact
congressional, senatorial and House races like we just went through with
Senator Brown. Your thoughts?
CHRYSTIA FREELAND, GLOBAL EDITOR AT LARGE, REUTERS: Yes, I think
you`re absolutely right.
Look, I think the story that we`re seeing is that the right, the
Republicans have more money. I think Senator Brown put it very well. If
you look at the economic map of America today, it`s the billionaires, it`s
the people at the top who are winning and who have the resources. And the
99 percent and their organized representatives like labor unions are not
doing so well in the economy today.
So the people with the resources, thanks to the Supreme Court
decision, have realized they have an unlimited ability to pour that money
into politics. We focus on the presidential race because it`s a single
very important race, but I think what we`re seeing is, in a way, a million
dollars, $5 million, you get more bang for your buck if you spend it in a
single senator race, and that`s what they`re doing.
SMERCONISH: Well, it`s conceivable -- it`s conceivable that
supporters of the president could wake up Wednesday morning having achieved
their goal of garnering his reelection and be shocked that the Senate has
changed hands because of that which we`re describing.
Let me show you something. The latest Quinnipiac poll from late June
has Sherrod Brown ahead of his opponent, Josh Mandel, by 16 points. And
Politico recently wrote -- quote -- "There isn`t a Senate candidate in the
country who has earned a more consistent string of lousy headlines than
Ohio`s Josh Mandel. Yet the 34-year-old Republican state treasurer
continues to defy political gravity, inching increasingly closer to
Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown in polls despite repeated stumbles, the
cloud of a campaign finance investigation and a prickly relationship with
his home state press corps? So what gives? Behold the post-Citizens
United era of unlimited outside spending where even a blunder-prone
candidate can stay in the game if there is sustained firepower trained
against his opponents."
And to which I would add and the constituents, the voters wouldn`t
know where has this money even come from at the time they go out and they
cast their ballots.
FREELAND: Yes. I think that`s exactly right.
And what you`re seeing is sort of the imbalance of raising money
nationally, but being able to really focus it in a laser-like way on a
local race. And if you want to look at it from an investing perspective,
as some of those billionaire Republican donors like to do, in a way, your
political investment, you get more leverage for it if you focus on a local
I think we`re going to see a lot of that.
SMERCONISH: Chrystia Freeland, thanks for your commentary.
Up next, ever wonder what Mitt Romney talks about when he is forced to
make small talk? Well, stick around for the "Sideshow."
And remember, you can follow me on Twitter if you can spell
This is HARDBALL, the place for politics.
SMERCONISH: Back to HARDBALL. Time for the "Sideshow."
First off: time to mingle. Ever wonder what Mitt Romney is saying to
the other folks on stage before he gives a speech? How about when he`s
casually chatting with others from the political scene?
Well, Jimmy Fallon did some guessing.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Hi. Welcome. Good to see you. Happy you`re
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: Nice to meet you.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: That`s quite a handshake. OK, you can let go of
my hand now. Please. OK. Let go of my hand. OK. And this is my friend,
Chris. Yes, good to see you.
OK, seriously, what`s with the handshakes? Sorry about that, Chris.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Hey, you guys want to play mini-golf after this?
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Yes, I`m down that, sure. Is there a putt-putt
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Yes, there`s one downstairs.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Oh, cool.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Yes, yes, right next to Applebee`s.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Last time, I got three holes in ones, so I`m
pretty good. Is that how you say that, holes in ones? Anyway.
Hi, guys. How are you?
SMERCONISH: The real moments to watch will be when the general
election debates get under way. What will Obama and Romney say during that
initial handshake on stage?
Although in one pre-debate greeting from four years ago, we didn`t
have to do much guessing.
SARAH PALIN (R), FORMER ALASKA GOVERNOR: Nice to meet you.
Hey, can I call you Joe?
JOSEPH BIDEN, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You can call me
SMERCONISH: The "Can I call you Joe?" moment. It`s tough to forget.
Next, when President Obama sat down with a local Las Vegas reporter
yesterday, the topic turned to baseball. That`s potentially dangerous
territory for Obama. Just weeks ago, he was booed by a crowd of Red Sox
fans after he mocked the Sox for trading a Boston hero, Kevin Youkilis, to
his favorite team, the hometown Chicago White Sox.
Let`s see how he fared this time around.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If I were to loan you this to display here at the
White House, would you come to the right side on this whole...
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Let me just say, this
will never go up in the White House.
OBAMA: But I am going to give you a chance to go ahead and promote
your team right now.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. Well, we will take that.
OBAMA: Congratulations. We were talking about -- one of the biggest
stars right now in Washington Bryce Harper...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
OBAMA: ... who comes out of -- comes out of Nevada and...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Las Vegas. Yes.
OBAMA: I know folks are really proud of him.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
OBAMA: He`s doing great. And it`s my second favorite team now, after
the Chicago White Sox.
SMERCONISH: Playing it safe. Bryce Harper is now an outfielder with
the Washington Nationals and is on tonight`s National League All-Star team.
Next, Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank got married to his
partner, Jim Ready, this past weekend. He met him at a political fund-
raiser back in 2005. It turns out that Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi made
her mark on the dance floor. And "The Baltimore Sun" got ahold of some
video. Cue the music.
"The New York Times" reported that she was dancing late into the
evening. The occasion makes Barney Frank the first member of Congress to
be in a same-sex marriage.
Finally, can whether or not you`re a smartphone user help predict who
you will vote for in the upcoming election? Not quite. But a new survey
points to a divide. Let`s go to the numbers. Of the iPhone and Android
and users polled, 49 percent say they planned to support President Obama,
only 31 percent for Mitt Romney.
With political ads potentially coming to a smartphone near you, the
campaigns might take note.
Up next, when the mayor wanted to raise taxes and the city council
said no, the mayor played hardball. And now city workers, including police
and firefighters, are all working for minimum wage.
That`s ahead. You`re watching HARDBALL, the place for politics.
TYLER MATHISEN, CNBC CORRESPONDENT: I`m Tyler Mathisen with your CNBC
"Market Wrap."
The Dow off 83 points, the S&P down 11 and the Nasdaq fell by 29.
Profit warnings hit equities today, including one from the engine maker
Cummins. It cuts its full-year forecast. Meanwhile, the chip maker -- and
we`re talking not potato chips -- Applied Materials said third-quarter
profits would be on the lower side of estimates. J.C. Penney cutting
another 350 jobs as it struggles to reorganize. It announced 600 job cuts
in April.
And Fitch is affirming the U.S.` AAA credit rating. What a difference
a summer makes.
That`s it from CNBC, first in business worldwide -- now back to
SMERCONISH: Welcome back to HARDBALL.
Outrage in a Pennsylvania city tonight, as Scranton Mayor Chris
Doherty slashed his own salary and that of other 400 or so city employees
to minimum wage, $7.25 an hour, because the city lacked the funds to pay
them full wages. Though he`s pledged to pay back what`s due to them, last
Friday`s paychecks went out to police, firefighters and other city
employees at slashed rates while the mayor and city council batting over
how to fund a nearly $17 million deficit.
Mayor Doherty wants to raise property taxes, while the council
refuses. Today, an attorney for three unions vowed to fight the mayor on
behalf of Scranton public employees.
Mayor Doherty is with me live tonight, along with state Senator John
Blake, who represents Scranton and the surrounding area.
Mayor, I read that Scranton had just $5,000 in its coffers last week.
How did this happen?
CHRIS DOHERTY (D), MAYOR OF SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA: Well, because of
the budget shortfall set by our council, we have a $16 million shortfall.
And as anything else, as the mayor, I not only have to provide for
salaries, but I have to provide for health care, for the gas and diesel for
our trucks and for our landfills.
I have to do and take care of the whole city. Our employees are great
employees and they do an outstanding job. And I have to make sure that we
take care of the whole city. And we will get through this. But right now,
there is a shortfall. We have to keep working towards it and working
together as a community and we will get through this.
SMERCONISH: And folks outs of Scranton and outside of Pennsylvania
should know this is a battle among members of the same party. This is a
not a partisan battle. These are Democrats, right? The council is
Democratic and you`re a Democratic mayor?
DOHERTY: Absolutely.
And it`s really just -- I had sent a budget down that had raised taxes
about $130 a household, and that would have solved our problem. The
council looked at it in a different way. They wanted to borrow. But the
banks have said, if you want to borrow, you need to have a plan. And they
have been unwilling to come up with that plan. But we have to work
together to get through it, because our job as leaders is to solve this
problem and to provide for the citizens of our city and protect their
SMERCONISH: And let me just make clear, as I said, at the outset,
your intention is to pay the money back, meaning these folks took home
$7.25 an hour last Friday, and your desire long term is that they will be
compensated fully.
DOHERTY: Absolutely.
And we have -- and the unions have gone to court to make sure that
they will be paid in full. And we will honor the court`s position.
Michael, I don`t want to be in this position. I love my city. And we have
made great strides over the last 11 years. We`re doing extremely well in
every other facet.
And in this area, we have to keep working hard to get through this.
And I know if we work hard with the city council, we will get through this.
That`s our job as leaders.
Let me ask of Senator Blake what the impact is on the morale of those
city workers and what toll might this take in terms of the way in which
Scranton is perceived by outsiders?
SENATOR JOHN BLAKE, D- PENNSYLVANIA: Well, Michael, this is obviously
an affront to great people. Nobody wants to be in this position to make
this decision.
I don`t envy the mayor or council with the decisions they`re making.
But the fact of the matter is that the crisis that we`re dealing with is a
short-term fiscal crisis. And the ability to solve that short-term crisis
is certainly within the local governing body.
We at the sate level obviously are deeply concerned about how
outsiders see our state and how outsiders see my district and my most
important city. And we have a very proud legacy. And as I said, this is
just a short-term crisis. Nobody wants to be in this position. Nobody
wants to raise taxes unless absolutely necessary for public safety.
Nobody wants to be facing the fiscal constraint, but many of our
cities are facing this problem. Michael, you know, even in your City of
Brotherly Love years ago, it wasn`t too -- not too long ago when it was
facing some fiscal distress. It takes a while to work your way out of
We have 27 cities that have been designated fiscally distressed. And
there seems to be no exit from it because of the underlying structural
problems with that fiscal distress. And states should be a better partner
to make sure that we don`t face this kind of crisis as we`re facing here in
Scranton now.
SMERCONISH: Mayor Doherty, some would say that you`re committing
political suicide when you`re paying the city workers and yourself $7.25 an
hour. How does this play for you moving forward?
DOHERTY: Michael, I`m a private businessman. And I have grown up in
the city. And I love my city. And I have been elected three times as
mayor, but I have always told the people the truth up front.
And we have to be able to pay for our bills. And that`s what we have
to do here. We have to step up. And whether we have to raise taxes, this
isn`t the first time I have raised taxes in my career. I have done it
before and been reelected. But you have to tell people, here`s what our
costs are and here`s how we get through it, because we need the confidence
of the banking community.
And we have to be in it together. If you want services, you have to
pay for them. And I have been one who has fought for fiscal conservancy.
When I became mayor, there were 500 employees. Today, there are 400. We
have reduced our costs.
But, sometimes, you have to increase your revenues. And that`s what
we have to do now. And I want to bring people together to make that
happen. But, you know, sometimes, you have to make tough decisions. And
I`m not afraid to do it.
But, in this case, we have the stand together. This isn`t about
politics. This is about the city I love, the city where my children were
raised and where I grew up.
SMERCONISH: Senator...
DOHERTY: And our city is doing extremely well.
SMERCONISH: Senator Blake, what`s the vibe? If I were there on the
street with the two of you right now, if we were to walk down the street,
what are folks who live in Scranton and not directly tied to this, what are
they saying?
BLAKE: Well, listen, there`s a sense of frustration. It`s no different
than when they look at Washington and they see political gridlock. They`ll
look at the city and they say, why can`t you just get in a room and work it
out. These are complex issue. And they`re going to take a commitment of
And, again, you know, we in Pennsylvania, we pride ourselves on local
control. Local control means local responsibility. So in reality I think
what the people of the city of Scranton want is a solution that serves the
public interest and that solution is certainly something that`s achievable
in the short-term, then we can get to work on the longer term structural
problems, you know, that prevail upon our city, like the city of Scranton.
But people are, I think, they are a little frustrated. They want to see
some action.
SMERCONISH: We hope you get it fixed.
Thank you, Mayor Chris Doherty of Scranton --
DOHERTY: Thank you, Michael.
SMERCONISH: -- and Pennsylvania State Senator John Blake.
Up next, dozens of members of Congress are rewriting history by
editing out embarrassing chapters from their Wikipedia pages. That`s
This is HARDBALL, the place for politics.
SMERCONISH: We promised you new poll numbers from some key
battleground states. Let`s go back to the HARDBALL scoreboard, starting in
Virginia, where a new PPP poll shows President Obama with an eight-point
lead over Mitt Romney, 50 to 42. There are few ways for Romney to win if
he doesn`t win Virginia.
Next, North Carolina in a closer race. The new PPP poll shows Obama
with just a one-point lead.
Remember now, PPP is an automated poll that tends to lean Democratic.
We`ll be right back.
SMERCONISH: We`re back.
Remember when Florida Congressman Allen West said this?
REP. ALLEN WEST (R), FLORIDA: I believe there`s about 78 to 81
members of the Democrat Party that are members of the communist party.
SMERCONISH: It looks like some in his office would rather you
forgot. A new report in "BuzzFeed" shows that members of the House of
Representatives and their offices, Allen West included, have been scrubbing
unflattering quotes from their members of Wikipedia pages, although
Wikipedia has since added the "communist" line back in.
Andrew Kaczynski is the reporter from "BuzzFeed" who broke the story.
He joins me now with MSNBC contributor and author of "My Father at 100,"
Ron Reagan.
Andrew, how do we know that the members of Congress or their staffs
are the ones who are making alterations to Wikipedia?
ANDREW KACZYNSKI, BUZZFEED: Well, basically, all members of Congress
share the same IP address, which for people that don`t know is a kind of
number that shows where your computer is located. And all the members of
the House of Representatives share the same number.
So, what I did was I searched this IP address in Wikipedia, and we
found that maybe there were 6,000 edits over the past few years and maybe
30, 40, 50 of them had been removing or adding flattering information about
members of Congress.
SMERCONISH: So, in the example we just offered, that somebody in
Allen West`s office would have been the one to remove the communist line
because you know the IP address that was utilized was in that building.
KACZYNSKI: Right.
SMERCONISH: And who else would care but Allen West or his staff?
KACZYNSKI: Exactly. And some members of Congress, like Rep. Candice
Miller, for instance, she removed that she had been admonished by the House
Ethics Committee.
And we looked and we saw that, oh, there have been seven or eight
edits to Wikipedia, all about Candice Miller, adding information, deleting
information. And we came to the conclusion really that who else would be
adding this. I mean, why would Allen West`s office be editing --
SMERCONISH: Well, let me give you an example, Colorado Republican
Mike Coffman came under fire in May when he revived an old (AUDIO GAP).
REP. MIKE COFFMAN (R), COLORADO: I don`t know whether Barack Obama
was born in the United States or not. I don`t know that. But I do know
this, that in his heart, he`s not an American. He`s just not an American.
SMERCONISH: And let`s watch what happened when a local reporter
caught up with him.
REPORTER: After your comments about the president, do you feel
voters are owed a better explanation than just "I misspoke"?
COFFMAN: I think -- I stand by my statement that I misspoke and I
REPORTER: OK. And who were you apologizing to?
COFFMAN: You know, I stand by my statement that I misspoke and I
REPORTER: I apologize. You talk to you all the time, you`re a very
forthcoming guy. Who`s telling you not to talk and to handle it like this?
COFFMAN: I stand by my statement that I wrote, that you have, and I
misspoke and I apologize.
REPORTER: Is there anything I can ask you that you`ll answer
COFFMAN: You know, I stand by my statement that I misspoke and I
SMERCONISH: OK, Andrew, if I go to his Wikipedia page, what do I
KACZYNSKI: Well, you would have found that incident had been deleted
I think maybe a couple of days after it happened. Now, some other
Wikipedia editors might have gone and put it back in, but it`s pretty
apparent that a lot of these offices are very self-aware of what their
candidate`s gaffes are and they`re trying to take them out.
SMERCONISH: Hey, Ron (AUDIO GAP) understand why my sons truly are
not permitted to quote or cite Wikipedia in their school papers.
RON REAGAN, MSNBC CONTRIBUTOR: Well, indeed. I mean, anybody who is
looking to Wikipedia for history needs to know that might not be a real
history after all.
Now, we`re all shocked -- just shocked -- to hear that politicians
are behaving this way, burnishing their images on the one hand and deleting
embarrassing episodes from their carriers on the other. But I think we
could make a distinction here between congressmen -- if I read the
"BuzzFeed" piece correctly, that some of these congressmen appear to be
adding biographical details, sometimes at great length. And no doubt all
the good stuff, about how they scored touchdowns in high school and passed
this and that legislation.
REAGAN: The difference between that, it seems to me, and deleting
facts, you know, the reality of your career, Allen West and you know, some
of these other people, they`re really -- the irony for Allen West, too, is
he`s accusing people of being communist, somebody needs to acquaint him
with the term Stalinesque. Stalin was the one that used to airbrush people
out of -- out of photographs and things.
REAGAN: But this is all part of the mendacity, the culture of
mendacity in Washington. Listen, messing around with your Wikipedia page
is nothing compared to pretending that global warming is a massive, you
know, conspiratorial hoax so that Obama`s mandate to buy health insurance
is the largest tax increase ever in America. If you can say those sorts of
things, editing your Wikipedia page is small beer.
SMERCONISH: Andrew, here`s another example. This one is like the
Wikipedia version of de-friending.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid`s page had the entire section
titled "Relationship with Jack Abramoff and his firm" removed.
KACZYNSKI: Yes. That was actually a very lengthy section that had
been deleted. It could have probably been paraphrased a little better.
But, yes, that section had been deleted.
But I`m going to have to disagree with the point that adding
information isn`t as bad because the way I look at it is that if you are
reading what is supposed to be a nonpartisan or nonbiased article, Pepsi,
Coca-Cola, FOX News, NBC, you wouldn`t want something that to have been
written by the PR people or that organization.
Now maybe some of these people just adding what committees they were
on or how they voted on certain issue and -- I really don`t see an issue
with that. But I feel like when they add large sets of biographical
information, these are things that should be monitored a little more
SMERCONISH: Well, shouldn`t the standard be, is it true? If it is
true then, it should be there.
KACZYNSKI: I think that -- yes. I think that`s a good standard but
you also think that -- yes, it should be looked at a little bit more
SMERCONISH: Ron, let me show you one more if I might. As part of
"Politico`s" "Get to Know a Congressman" series, Greg Harper, Republican
from Mississippi, was asked about a group that advocates for hunters and
fishermen in Congress. "Politico" asked, what in the world does the
Congressional Sportsmen`s Caucus do? And Harper answered, quote, "We hunt
liberal, tree-hugging Democrats, although it does seem like a waste of good
Actually, Andrew, let me just confirm with you -- scrub from
Wikipedia, right?
KACZYNSKI: That was scrubbed from Wikipedia.
SMERCONISH: OK. Ron Reagan, another example of what we are talking
REAGAN: Yes. Another example of a congressman saying something
that`s really stupid. You just don`t want that out there in public,
because who says things like that, particularly if you are running for
office? So, of course, you scrub it out of your Wikipedia page. Again,
this is -- I would be interested if Andrew knew if, you know, if -- you
know, in terms of party, things broke down one way or the other, in terms
of adding biographical detail versus removing facts from your resume.
SMERCONISH: Andrew, what`s the short answer to that? What
differences, if any, did you discern between R`s and D`s who are involved
in this?
KACZYNSKI: Actually, it was kind of interesting. We found -- we
didn`t publish the Senate list. We only did the House of Representatives
list first. It was really odd. The House list, we found that it was
mostly Republicans who were doing it. There were maybe 10 or so Democrats.
With the Senate, I was finding it was actually Democrats, not
Republicans who were editing. It was kind of Senate Democrats were
editing. The House Republicans were editing.
SMERCONISH: Interesting. So, I take it there`s more to come in this
KACZYNSKI: Yes. Definitely.
SMERCONISH: Gentlemen, thank you for an interesting segment. Can`t
wait to talk to my kids` teachers and tell them now I understand.
Andrew Kaczynski and Ron Reagan, we appreciate it.
When we return, allow me to finish with a new assault on the right on
privacy. If you got a cell phone, you need to hear this.
You`re watching HARDBALL, the place for politics.
SMERCONISH: Let me finish tonight with this. Yesterday, "The New
York Times" reported that the use of cell phone tracking data by law
enforcement is skyrocketing. The situation raises interesting privacy
In response to a request from Congressman Edward Markey, cell phone
carriers just revealed having responded to 1.3 million demands for
subscriber information last year from law enforcement agencies they were
seeking text messages, caller locations and other information in the course
of investigations.
The requests came from law enforcement on a local, state and federal
level. The law is still struggling to catch up with this area of cell
phone surveillance. The issue is how to balance law enforcement needs with
privacy concerns.
As "The Times" pointed out, under federal law, the carriers said they
generally required a search warrant, a court order, or formal subpoena to
release information about a subscriber. But in cases that law enforcement
officials deem an emergency, a less formal request is often enough.
Moreover, rapid technological changes in cell phones have blurred the lines
on what`s legally required to get data, particularly the use of GPS systems
to identify the location of phones.
In a world where virtually everyone walks around with a cell phone,
the ability to track users has become an invaluable tool for police. The
question is whether privacy rights of mobile customers are being
The carriers report that sometimes what was described as a true
emergency was not the case.
And what about the cell phone`s GPS technology? Recall that six
months ago, in a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court ruled that police
violated the Constitution when they attached a GPS tracker to a suspected
drug dealer`s car without a valid search warrant. That would seem to
underscore the need for warrants to always be obtained before phones are
We want law enforcement to con to solve kidnappings, prevent
suicides, respond to shootings, in cases of missing people, as well as
other emergencies. But Congress needs to ensure that there are legal
protections in place for customers` privacy and that the mobile industry is
in compliance before surrendering such information.
One final thought. It comes from Steve from the Midwest who posted
this comment to "The Times" coverage of the cell phone privacy matter. He
wrote, "The only private communications that exists is the U.S. Postal
Service. Nobody will read your letters and you can say anything you like
without in computer program picking out key words to flag in a database of
suspicious wording. When Congress kills USPS, our last personal and
private means of communication is gone."
To which I would: everything old is new again.
That`s HARDBALL for now. Thanks for being with us.
"POLITICS NATION" with Al Sharpton starts right now.
United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed,
transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written
permission of CQ-Roll Call. You may not alter or remove any trademark,
copyright or other notice from copies of the content.>


text:
Police looking for ex-con in deadly Fla. day care crash
Police are seeking an ex-con with a long history of arrests in the crash that killed one child and injured 11 others at a day care center in the Orlando area on Wednesday.
Florida Highway Patrol spokeswoman Wanda Diaz said in a statement Thursday that 26-year-old Robert Alex Corchado — who has been arrested eight times since 2000 — was driving a Dodge Durango that struck a Toyota Solaro convertible, which jumped a curb and smashed into the KinderCare building, the Associated Press reported.
Three adults were also hurt in the crash. The driver of the Solaro was not hurt.
The Highway Patrol on Wednesday described Corchado as "dangerous." He served time for cocaine trafficking and is out on bail for December charges involving drugs and hit-and-run.
Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children reported Wednesday evening that a young girl had died. Her name and age were not immediately released.
Another patient was listed in critical condition and five were listed in serious condition.
Highway Patrol spokeswoman Sgt. Wanda Diaz described some injuries as "very, very serious," the Orlando Sentinelreported. One child was pinned by the car that veered into the KinderCare Learning Center, which serves infants as young as 6 weeks old.
More than 50 children and adults were inside the facility at the time of the crash.
The Orange County Fire Rescue reported that 13 of the injured — 11 of them children — were taken to four area hospitals and that two were treated at the scene.
Corchado's SUV was found about 5:20 p.m. at a home in nearby Winter Park and authorities put out an alert for Corchado, said Highway Patrol Maj. Cindy Williams. He reportedly was spotted at Orlando International Airport, and his photo was circulated among car-rental agencies.
The Highway Patrol initially reported that Corchado had rented a car at the airport but later said he rented a Mazda CSX1 -- with Florida tag CHRQ41 -- from an Enterprise outlet in Winter Park.
Prison records cited by the Sentinel, WESH and WKMG-TV show Corchado was released in 2012 after nearly three years in prison for cocaine trafficking. He was awaiting court action over his December arrest in Seminole County on charges of possession of heroin, cocaine, marijuana and other controlled substances, plus careless driving, hit-and-run and leaving the scene of a crash with damage to property.


text:
Developments in employment law, industrial disputes and personal grievances.
Use this control to limit the display of threads to those newer than the specified time frame.
Allows you to choose the data by which the thread list will be sorted.
Order threads in...
Note: when sorting by date, 'descending order' will show the newest results first.
Forum Rules


text:
Yesterday I was honored to attend and be a speaker at the Lexington County Bar's Annual Conference. Presenters were The Honorable James O. Spence, Master-in-Equity; Desa Ballard, Private Attorney; The Honorable Richard C. Collins, Magistrate; The Honorable Daniel R. Eckstrom, Probate Court; and me.
The Topic? Ethical Issues with Pro Se Litigants
Judge Spence opened the session. He noted that how judges and attorneys interact with self-represented litigants (SRLs) depends on them first making a philosophical decision. He showed film clips from The Green Mile and 300.
From The Green Mile:
Paul Edgecomb: What do you want me to do John? You want me to let you run out of here, see how far you can get?
John Coffey: Why would you do such a foolish thing?
Paul Edgecomb: On the day of my judgment, when I stand before God, and He asks me why did I kill one of his true miracles, what am I gonna say? That is was my job? My job?
From 300 we learn:
300 tells the story of the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 B.C. Persians under the rule of King Xerxes have already taken over some of the Hellenic city-states, and now threaten Sparta and Athens. King Leonidas of Sparta is left with two options: he will either have to sacrifice himself for the well-being of Sparta or watch it burn to the ground. Choosing the former, Leonidas forms an army of 300 Spartan warriors to block the narrow passage of Thermopylae where Xerxes intends to reach Hellas. On the road they meet some allies, who are shocked that the Spartans are sending such a small force. Leonidas asks the professions of the allied army, who are craftsmen and artisans. He points out that he has brought more soldiers than they.
Judge Spence also offered 3 other points for us:
- Mom's Advice: Be Nice and Play Fair!
- Viewing Norman Rockwell's 1961: Do Unto Others
- A snippet from The Byrds "Turn, Turn, Turn" aka Ecclesiastes 3:1
- We learn that as attorneys and human beings, we are each responsible for how we treat others.
- As judges and attorneys, we are officers of the court. We are responsible for public trust in us. We gain this trust through respect, dignity and patience. We should be judicious with Summary Judgment motions.
- We should schedule status conferences and explain standards clearly.
- We should use Court Reporters to ensure that our words are recorded. This also reminds us that we are "on the record."
- SRLs are not one size fits all. They cannot be characterized with broad strokes. Instead they come in all shapes and sizes, like the Armour Hot Dog song.
- If you are having a hard time, go back to the basics – why did you go into law? It probably wasn't to take advantage of others. Revisit your motives.
Next installment: Desa Ballard.


text:
Persib Bandung
Club Football Indonesia
Persatuan Sepakbola Seluruh Indonesia
Download the vector logo of the Persib Bandung brand designed by dwi in Adobe® Illustrator® format. The current status of the logo is active, which means the logo is currently in use.
- Designer:
- dwi
- Contributor:
- dwi
- Vector format:
- ai
- Status:
- Active Report as obsolete
- Vector Quality:
- No ratings
- Updated on:
- Tue, 12/15/2009 - 09:06


text:
Oregano, Greek oregano
Origanum heracleoticum, Origanum vulgare hirtum
Start seed indoors 4 weeks before last frost, or outside after last frost; sow just covered, in good light. Thin to 10" and grow in well-drained poor to average soil, full sun. Stem cuttings can be used to overwinter the plant indoors, as with basil, though the plant is winter-hardy into zone 5
Perennial, self-sows well. Wild marjoram, Origanum vulgare, often sold as oregano, is NOT the real kitchen oregano, and is much less aromatic
Related Topics
|Copyright © 2020,
All rights reserved


text:
Logo Cropped Sweater
Chunky style
Versatility is queen.
This oversized cropped sweater in a natural cotton mix enhances your styling game – day and night. A soft feel with classic details, a cool logo print on the right arm and its short length provide a subtle interpretation of the current logo trend.
Loose fit / Cotton blend / Length at back 44 cm, size S / Machine washable
Order Today: Estimated Delivery Date 05/10/2020
- main material 70% cotton, 30% polyester